Railway crossing



June 30, 1931. c. CLARK RAILWAY CROSSING 2 Sheets-She a: 1

Filed Aug. 2'7. 1929 INVENTOR,

Patented June 3i), c i gr i p I i c'LA IBoBN'o ARK, or LosANGEn s, im nm p BAIIiWAX CROSSI G} 2' i v p A pplication flied Angi1 st27i,il.929. S eria1 No.388,(91. I I This invention" relates to railway equip- ;T' providefor the passagefof vheels X c ment and more especially to intersecting with flangw F be several tracksmeet in track-Ways where flanged-car Wheels cross corner blOCkS JB WhlClI'hBQVB track gaps G intersecting tracks; I p parallellngthe inner faces. of thetreadsof I It is wellknown thata great deal of sethe several tracks 1 I v 55 rlously objectionable noise is caused Where Obviously when the treads of the Wheels the treads of wheels jump over gaps necessa= ]ump the gaps G' the impingement of I the rily provided at all intersections where Wheels on the opposed shoulders of the blocks flan d wh l t a s in traffic produce hlghlyi objectionable noise. The

i Variousjdivers meanshave bee "proposed present invention consists of means whereby for rendering C211 "crossing tracksfquiet or to fill the gaps occurring atthe intersection I silentbutfthle. principaljobjectioni'to most along "the tracks over which vvheels maybe,

"proposed inecl anisms undesirable passing. It (is desirable "to provide fsuch' complicat ons of apparatus and unreliab1l1-" Line-ans witli'theutmost'of simplicity and with .Tsti qf er ti n, pl' 'd'yvithffragility of a'minimum'degree'of'movement of necessary (5 p rt-S, I I opera-tin means; If Itis therefore: an objectgoffmypresent {lhereoreeac' block'Bis provided witha' inve tion' to 'provide'fan automatic? silent diagonal countersunk :slide: 2 having crossing track mechanism ith'eXtre-mesimwidened central body *3 which is slidablyj a Z0 plicity" one-er its principal characteristics. guided fa'nd retained under "over-hanging "A furthe objectisto prov'ide" infcombina-I' ledges B1 whose top faces are'fiush Withj'the tion with a crossing track system,,a setofcotrack,treads and the tops of theblocks Bl y acting and synchronized"gapbridgerswhich x The central body 3 of thefslidefflvisipro? 7 are operative with amini ma degree of ,videdwith'fatrian ular body 4; forming a stroke and i vvhich are'positively limited at filler-or ,bridgerf'who'se top; face 5 is flush respective positionsby opposed directly en with the treads of the tracks; J This bridgergaged buttresses)" o I 1s arranged"withits/apex,"6y-inwardly-dis-so CAfurthfr'object'is to'providea safety de posed and its-right angular side faces '7 f vice to compensate for inequalities in depths and 8 areadaptedtobear against stop shoul- I of flanges of -variousf wheels which may oj p- 'ders'S andS, formed loyj theinner corners' erate' over, silencingm echanlsmr ofthe block spaces G 'With which the spacing Other'obj ects, advantages; and detailsfpi bridger 5Eis registerablealternately.

means and' features' willbe made manifest 'Each bridgerslid'e is provided'with alever" in the ensuing description of the herewith arm 10 having a vertical pivot 11 from which illustrative embodiment; it being understood extends an arm 12 With a down turned'shank 1 that modifications; variations and adapta-w 13 having a clevis part l4. In'the-system; I tions maykbe resorted tof within the spirit," the several lever arms are arranged diag-g scope and principle .of'the invention as it is Onally as to the intersectionand' each clevis g moredirectly'claim ed hereinafter, and'which isattached to a pair of links 15 and 16 which consists of the disclosure andfits substantial lie'at right angles to each other and extend equivalentsl' a 5 4 I outwardly to' respective actnating"mechai Figure 1 is a plan of the installed silencing nismQ-J H c 3' i i j,

apparatus; I Q x; Such mechanism consists of, aset ofrock- "Figure 2 isa verticalsectionon line 2+2, shafts 20 and 21;,f0r the N and-S tracks; and

' p i a rock-shaft22for theWtr'ack and aro'ck L Figure 3 isafperspective of acgap 'bridger' shaft 23 fo'rthe E trackt; 1 p

and its operatingleverf I "The, rock shaft 20 has lever'armsf24 to c The apparatusisshovvn as combined with Whichfare connected parallel links l5 and the tracks N which are ali ned andwith rock'shaft 22 has lever arms 25 togwhich are 1, cross tracks Wand E; wchi'ch are alined. connected the links eRock-fshaftj23 'lias- 59 lever arms 27 to which are connected links 16 from respective clevises and rock-shaft 21 has lever arms 28 to which are connected links 15 from respective clevises.

Suitable means are provided to operate each rock-shaft by the action of a pair of twin wheels X approaching the intersection from a direction relative to each particular rocleshaft.

The mechanisms for actuating the several rock-shafts are composed of identical devices which, each, include a treadle 30 having elongated slot 31 receiving a trunnion 32 on which the treadle is mounted, one along the inside of each tracl; in such position as to be engaged by a flange F of a traveling wheel X. The normal ellective, position of each treadle 30 is with its inner end upward and in the pathof wheel flanges. Since the flanges may project various distances below the track tread the treadles o0 have rollers in their lower outer corners which are adapted to shift on 1 caring plates 33 provided therefore to positions determined by the depression stroke of the treadle under flange action.

Each treadle 30 is connected by a link 34; toa short lever arm 35 fixed on the respective rock-shaft as 23, Fig. 2.

The operation is therefore, as follows: As a car approaches the intersection its front wheels X will engage and simultaneously depress the treadles 30, if they are in upper position, which will be the case when the bridgers 5 are in such position as to obstruct the passage of the flanges into and across the gaps G in direction of travel of the approaching car. On the other hand, if the gaps G, in line of travel are open then the treadles of the related open are in down or lower positions so that the car wheels pass without eli'ect on the treadles All of the treadles 30 are combined through the several links and their lever arms 12 so that the treadles act synchronously. The treadles of the W and E tracks are positioned to be all simultaneously up or all down. That is, all of these treadles will be in upper position when the bridgers 5 close the respective gaps G, or they will be down if the gaps are open, while the treadles 30 of the tracks N and S are in the opposite relation or position and are up while the other treadles are down and vice versa.

When the treadles of a cross track are depressed the related bridgers of that track will shift into alinement to fill the lateral gaps in wheel path so that the wheel treads pass onto and over the bridgers without material noise.

The stroke necessary is just enough to shift the bridgers in a short diagonal path from one buttress S to its di gonally opposite relative which form positive stops for the actions.

Thus a car approaching on the N tracks,

Fig. 1, will depress the raised treadles 30 and through the links 15 will oscillate all of the treadles will be in levers l2 and these will in turn shift the bridges 5 to open the gaps G in the N-S tracks so that wheels can run through free while the treads of the wheels will pass onto the bridgers which have therefore been shifted into the line of travel of the wheels treads on the N-S tracks. Such action raises the treadles of the WE tracks so that when a car approaches on either of these, the position for action and function to shift the interposed bridgers out of the way and into bridging position for the wheels running on TV and E tracks.

The semi-floating capacity of the treadles is a safety feature allowing for relief of resistance and tension of parts in event a deep flange rolls over any treadle.

It will be noticed that only a small area of the slide is flush with the track treads and that area the top of the small bridgers 5. Any dirt collecting in the path of the bridger action will be worked out into the clearance gaps.

What is claimed is:

1. A sound-reducing railway crossing including a set of blocks with right angular flange gaps for passing Wheel flanges, diago na l slides in said blocks having triangular bridgers shiftable diagonally at the intersection of the gaps of respective blocks to close the gaps in line of wheel passage a diagonal leverpivoted on each block and connectedto its slide, and trea-dle actuated means connected tothe levers.

2. A sound-reducing railway crossing ineluding a set of blocks with right angular flange gaps for passing wheel flanges, diagonal slides in said blocks having triangular bridgers shiftable diagonally at the intersection of the gaps of respective blocks to close the gaps in line of wheel passage, rock shafts with pairs of treadles at each track way,and a radial leverpivotechon each block, connected to its slide and also to relative rock shafts of intersecting trackways.

3. In a railway crossing structure a gap bridging device including a slide, and a block in which it is countersunk; said block having a stepped down inner corner, and a slide actuating lever pivoted on said corner.

4. In a railway crossing structure a gap bridging device including a slide,.and a block in which it is countersunk; said slide having a. triangular bridger on its top to alternately fill intersecting flange gaps in the block, and an inwardly radiating arm pivoted on the block and connected to the slide.

5. In a railway crossing structure a gap bridging device including a slide, and a block in which it is countersunk; said slide having a. triangular bridger on its top to alternately fill intersecting flange gaps in the block, and a radiating arm pivoted on the block system of rightangularly disposed treadle shafts and connections between such arm and two i of said shafts which are atla angle to intersection, and means bridger with treadles and levers relative to 1 to a respective pair 7 of the quadrangle.

each other.

6.7 In a railway crossing structure a system of treadle levers one'at each track rail intersection, crossing blocks flange gaps; and

blocks, stop I bridgers, treadles for means engaging faces ,0

each rail from or tothe connecting each intersecting trackways.

7 In a silent trac treadle operated mechanism including a scanfloating treadle, a trunnion on which it is slidable and tiltable, Which the lower end of theltreadle is rollable according to its actuation by wheel flanges.

8. I In a track crossing, a quadrangle of rock shafts each having treadles at'its ends. adj acent to rails of a relative crossing trackway, crossing blocks having intersecting gaps at the junction of the rails, gap brid blocks, levers pivoted on thebloc nected to the bridgers and quadrangle, and

s and conof the shafts at its'corner having intersecting. V I I a system of bridgers diagonally operative betvveenthe gaps of respefctive i the a crossing apparatus, .a

and a foot bearing on ers in said radiant/to the links connecting each lever ,7

CLAIBORN CLAR 

